Best Practices for SMS Discount A/B Testing

Want to increase sales and recover abandoned carts with SMS campaigns? Start with A/B testing. Here's what you need to know:

• Set clear goals: Focus on metrics like cart recovery rate, revenue, and customer engagement.
• Segment your audience: Group customers by cart value, shopping behavior, or purchase history.
• Test one variable at a time: Change only one element (e.g., discount size, timing, or message content) to pinpoint what works.
• Write better messages: Experiment with CTAs, urgency cues, and personalization to boost engagement.
• Timing matters: Test different send times to find the sweet spot for conversions.
• Track performance: Use metrics like open rate, CTR, conversion rate, and revenue per message to analyze results.

Tools like Bombocart simplify the process with templates, segmentation, and analytics. Start small, measure results, and refine your strategy to create SMS campaigns that work.

SMSBump - The Most Popular SMS Marketing Shopify App ...

1. Set Clear Test Goals

Start by defining objectives that align with important metrics, such as:

• Cart Recovery Rate: Measure how many abandoned carts are recovered through your SMS campaigns.
• Overall Revenue: Track the contribution of your messages to total sales.
• Customer Engagement: Analyze how recipients interact with your links and offers.

Here are a few experiments you can run to focus on specific KPIs:

• Discount Timing: Test sending discounts at different points in the SMS sequence to find the best time for conversions.
• Discount vs. No Discount: Compare the performance of messages with and without discounts to see how incentives affect results.
• Message Personalization: Evaluate the effectiveness of personalized content (like using names or browsing history) versus generic reminders.

Bombocart's templates, built-in discount tools, and direct checkout links make it easier to implement and track these tests^[1].

Finally, segment your audience to ensure your test groups are evenly matched for accurate results.

2. Split Customer Groups

Effective segmentation is key to getting accurate A/B test results. Break down your abandoned-cart audience based on these factors:

• Cart value: Group customers into low, mid, and high-value carts to assess how they respond to discounts.
• Shopping behavior: Separate first-time shoppers, repeat buyers, and returning customers to tailor your approach.
• Purchase history: Compare recent buyers with lapsed customers to adjust your messaging for each group.

Bombocart takes care of segmenting subscribers and tracking how each group responds. After that, focus on testing one variable at a time to figure out what truly boosts conversions.

3. Change One Element Per Test

When running tests, focus on changing just one element at a time. This approach helps you figure out exactly which adjustment is responsible for any changes in results^[1].

Keep everything else the same - whether it's the discount size, message length, CTA wording, or send time. For instance, you could test two different discount sizes while keeping the timing and copy identical. Then, in a separate test, adjust the timing while using the same discount. Bombocart's A/B testing tools make it easy to create precise variations and link any performance changes directly to the specific element you modified.

After identifying what works, fine-tune your message copy to amplify its impact in each test.

^[1] Testing one element at a time ensures you can confidently identify which change caused the observed effect. Adjusting multiple elements at once often leads to unclear results.

4. Write More Effective Discount Messages

Once you've pinpointed your test variable, focus on improving the message itself. Experiment with three key elements - call-to-action (CTA), urgency, and personalization - to create SMS discounts that grab attention and drive action.

• CTA Testing: Compare phrases like "Use code SAVE15" with "Claim 15% off" to find which one gets more clicks.
• Urgency Cues: Try messages such as "Ends in 2 hours" versus "Today only" to see which creates a stronger sense of urgency.
• Personalization: Add the customer's first name or reference their recent browsing activity to make the message feel more tailored and increase engagement.

5. Test Message Timing

Timing matters when reaching out to customers after cart abandonment. The goal is to connect with them at the right moment to encourage a purchase^[1].

Try Bombocart's two-step approach: send a reminder 15 minutes after the cart is abandoned. If the first message isn't opened, follow up with a second one offering a discount.

You can also experiment with different intervals, such as 5, 15, or 30 minutes, to see which timing works best for conversions. Analyze the results to understand how timing impacts customer behavior.

6. Measure Test Results

Once you've run your timing and copy tests, it's time to analyze the results. Focus on key metrics like open rate, click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, redemption rate, average order value (AOV), and revenue per message. These numbers will help you determine which discount strategy generates the most revenue. Tools like Bombocart's cart recovery analytics make it easy to gather and review this data^[1].

Key Metrics to Track:

• Open rate: How many recipients opened your SMS.
• Click-through rate (CTR): The percentage of recipients who clicked on links in your message.
• Conversion rate: The number of recipients who completed a purchase after receiving your SMS.
• Redemption rate: The percentage of customers who redeemed the discount offered.
• Average order value (AOV): Compare the average purchase amounts across different test groups.
• Revenue per message: Total revenue divided by the number of messages sent.

Be sure to document details like test duration, sample size, and the metrics above for each test. Use the best-performing variation as your new standard, and continue refining other elements to improve results further.

^[1] Bombocart provides cart recovery analytics.

7. Use Bombocart's Testing Tools

After setting your goals, segmenting your audience, and creating discount messages, it's time to put Bombocart's tools to work for your A/B testing.

Bombocart makes it easy to manage and scale SMS A/B tests with its all-in-one platform. Features include a drag-and-drop template editor, customizable two-step sequences, real-time cart recovery analytics, automatic discount code generation, and compliance tools to keep your campaigns on track^[1].

To ensure your SMS campaigns meet regulations and reach your audience effectively, use dedicated phone numbers (available with the Starter plan and above). Bombocart takes care of registration requirements, so you can focus on running your campaigns without any hiccups^[1].

Once you've set up your tests, you're ready to dive into analyzing the results in the next section.

SMS Test Results Overview

Evaluate your A/B test results using the metrics you've already defined. This will help you pinpoint areas for improvement. Make sure to reference your cart recovery metrics (from Section 6) and testing tools (from Section 7) to guide your analysis.

Segment Performance Analysis (Section 2)

Look at how different test segments performed by comparing response and conversion rates. This will help you figure out which offers and tones had the best impact.

Message Timing Impact (Section 5)

Keep the message content the same but test different sending times. Then, analyze delivery rates, click-through rates (CTR), and conversions to see how timing influences your results.

Content vs. Timing Analysis

Test content and timing separately. Once you know what works best for each, pair the top-performing message with the best time to send it for maximum conversions.

Use these insights to refine your strategy for the next testing cycle.

Conclusion

Structured SMS discount A/B testing can help boost conversions by focusing on clear objectives, well-defined audience segments, perfect timing, and tailored messages. Bombocart makes this process easier with its built-in A/B testing tools and automatic discount features, all starting at $14.99 per 100 messages using a pay-per-SMS model.

• Set clear objectives for each test.
• Divide your audience into precise segments.
• Experiment with only one variable at a time.
• Refine the timing and content of your messages.
• Systematically track and analyze your results.

Follow these steps to fine-tune your approach and continuously improve your SMS campaigns. Each test is an opportunity to learn and refine your strategy.

FAQs